Women Who Can’t Not: FIRST TIME SKIING OUTSIDE HER HOME STATE OF COLORADO

Sometimes the bravest thing isn’t skiing a steeper run. Sometimes it’s booking the trip.

After a divorce, becoming an empty nester, and finding herself at a crossroads in life, Sally decided to do something she’d never done before: fly to a mountain she’d never visited, meet a group of women she’d never met, and join her first ski retreat. What she found in Sun Valley wasn’t just great skiing. It was proof that life can still surprise you when you’re willing to say yes.

What made you decide to book a ski retreat by yourself?

Charlotte: You saw the trip and decided to go to Sun Valley. Had you skied outside of Colorado before? Had you done any group trips or solo ski trips before?

Sally: I had never done a group ski trip, and I had never gone solo skiing outside of my local mountains.

I had skied by myself for the day, but this was way out of my comfort zone.

I was going out of state to a place I had never been before, with a group of people I didn’t know.

I remember asking you about ability level. I said, “I’m a blue groomer kind of girl,” and you told me I was going to be just fine.

That made me feel better because I realized it wasn’t going to be a group of crazy black diamond mogul ladies.

So I thought, what the heck. Life is short. I had the time.Business had been slow.

I’m an empty nester. I don’t have kids at home. I had this opportunity, so why not take it?

Charlotte: What emotions were you feeling after you booked it?

Sally: People were really excited for me.

Especially my big sister.

She said, “You should totally do that. I’m so proud of you.”

A little backstory is that I’m divorced. I’ve been divorced for four years. I had one significant relationship after that, and we broke up last summer.

I had been feeling like, what do I do with my life now?

I’m in my late fifties. I’m an empty nester. I don’t have a spouse. I don’t have a boyfriend.

My sister said, “Just go live life. You are free to do whatever you want.”

So I took this as a sign that I needed to do this for myself.

What almost stopped you from coming?

Charlotte: Were there any major obstacles in your way?

Sally: Not really. Money was definitely a factor.

Business hadn’t been great, so it wasn’t like I was rolling in dough.

But I had some savings. I had the time. I didn’t have commitments like young children.

My biggest commitment is my rescue dog, Tater, and my brother lives nearby, so he’s my built in dog sitter. That was taken care of.

So I thought, what the heck. I’m just going to do this. It’s only three days. Life is short.

Charlotte: When you were traveling to the retreat, did you have any expectations or concerns?

Sally: I didn’t have a lot of expectations because I didn’t know what to expect.

The itinerary looked great. My biggest concerns were logistics.

Growing up in Aspen, I lived ten minutes from the mountain.

You just show up with your skis and go. This time I wasn’t bringing my skis.

I was worried about rentals, transportation, and whether anything would fit correctly.

I completely psyched myself out over all the tiny details.

But it was easy. Easy peasy. ou explained everything beforehand, and the rental process was seamless.

Looking back, I was making it a much bigger deal in my head than it actually was.

What was it like meeting a group of women you didn’t know?

Charlotte: Tell me about the retreat itself.

Sally: It was great from the very beginning.

I met Melissa at the airport in Denver.

We had figured out beforehand that we’d both be connecting there, so we met up before we even got to Sun Valley.

That was really nice. Once we arrived, it was more of the same.

We met other women who had landed around the same time.

We grabbed lunch, had a beer, and started getting to know each other.

Then we arrived at the house.

There you were. Everything was so welcoming.

There were gift bags, snacks, wine, food, and all these thoughtful touches. Everybody was friendly. It was really nice hearing everyone’s stories. The whole weekend was packed. Skiing. Fondue. Yoga. Art. The Wild Rye founder talk.

Everything was great.

Charlotte: What did it feel like being surrounded by women you didn’t know?

Sally: Going into it, I was a little nervous.

I meet strangers all the time in my business, but I’m not an extrovert.

At the same time, I thought, what’s the worst thing that’s going to happen? We’re not meeting horrible ogres.

We’re meeting a bunch of like minded women who love skiing.

That’s exactly what happened. Everyone had different stories.

Some had children. Some were empty nesters like me.

Everyone brought something different to the group.

Was there a moment that made you feel truly supported?

Charlotte: Was there a moment where you felt supported or uplifted by the group?

Sally: The chef dinner on the last night.

That was really special.

You mentioned to the chef that my birthday had recently passed.

They brought out a cake with a candle, and everyone sang Happy Birthday.

It made me a little teary eyed. Not sad. Just emotional.

These people had only known me for a few days, but they were celebrating me. That was awesome.

What are you most proud of now?

Charlotte: Was there a personal highlight from the trip?

Sally: Wild Rye.

Absolutely. I loved hearing the founder talk about building her business. The challenges. The setbacks.

The way they keep moving forward when obstacles show up. That was incredibly inspiring.

I’ve worked in ski shops before, and I loved learning about a newer woman owned brand that I hadn’t heard of before.

Charlotte: Looking back on the whole experience, what are you most proud of?

Sally: I’m proud that I went.

At one point I almost canceled because I realized I didn’t actually have an Ikon Pass.

I thought I bought one, but I hadn’t.

I went skiing before the retreat to get my legs back under me and found out my pass wasn’t valid.

I remember thinking, “Oh no.”

But I decided to go anyway. It cost more than I expected, but it worked out. Lesson learned.

Charlotte: How has this experience shaped what you believe is possible for you?

Sally: It made me realize that anything is possible.

This retreat was amazing.

But it’s really just one little toe dip into a much bigger pool.

There are so many opportunities out there.

I’m single. I’m an empty nester. And I can do whatever I want now.

Let’s go to Japan. Let’s do something bigger.

What would you tell someone who is thinking about coming?

Charlotte: What would you say to someone who is thinking about coming but holding back?

Sally: If you can do it, do it.

If you’re worried about coming alone, don’t.

Everyone is welcoming.

You’re surrounded by people with shared interests and a common goal.

You’re going to find people you connect with.

Yes, it’s scary. I’m an introvert.

It was very strange stepping outside my comfort zone and flying to another state to ski with ten women I had never met.

But just do it. Life is short.

Who knows what tomorrow has in store for us?

Charlotte: What is one word you would use to describe the ski retreat?

Sally: Amazing. Everything was amazing.

The people. The food. The skiing. The activities. All of it.

Charlotte: What is your ski alter ego name?

Sally: Sassy Sally.

Charlotte: What inspired you to become such a great fire maker?

Sally: Maybe because I’m a pyromaniac.

I love campfires and fireplaces.

Whenever there’s an opportunity to build a fire, I’m in.

There used to be a giant bonfire during Wintersköl in Aspen where people would throw old Christmas trees into the fire.

I loved it. When they ran out of trees, I started looking around wondering what else we could burn.

Someone finally had to tell me, “Sally, don’t start taking down the buildings.”

Charlotte: Any final thoughts?

Sally: It was a great experience.

Totally outside my comfort zone.

But once I got there, I thought, this is cool.

These people are nice. There’s good food. Good wine. Fun activities. Great skiing. And fire. It was unforgettable.

Ready to find your people on the mountain?

Whether you’re newly single, an empty nester, traveling solo, or simply ready for your next adventure, our retreats are designed to help you step outside your comfort zone and into something unforgettable.

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